townsend



H. M. TOWNSEND.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1918.

1 307, 94; 1 Patented June 24; 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I. @Z.

8 monitor dtbozacq H. M. TOWNSEND/ ENGINE STARTER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 4 1918" 1,307,941 Patented June 24,1919.

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f '1 REM 1 QM Wu 1 J W l' W N 2 gvwentoz Tzwwerzd ear lToiiZ Zliflzbnr*it mily-concernr V 'Be "it knownthat I, HARRY .M. Towxsnxn,

a citizen of-the =Uaited'States. 'residing at Minatare; inthe countyof s'cottsBlufi and,

EKGINE STARTER.

' midway firemen yimnn is pro by means fof,l wlricli the operator; while sitting in 11,15 seat. an the ,ma hmaQmay rotate v the shaft. (itandhyhmans of thelgears l and 5 5 State "of Nebraska, "have 1 innented new and useful ImproiementsinEngine-Starters, of l which the following i sa specification.

g This invention relates to engine starters and particularly mechanical engine startersi in which an energy storing spring is utilized inconnection with a novel arrangement of. gearing whereby the powerv stored in the spring may be transm'ittdgto the engine shaft for rotating the latter and effecting a stai'ting of the engine. ;Th-e improved starter may be repe'atedly operated where the engine is (liflicult to star very cold weather.

. \Yit'h the above and 'otlier objects inaview, 1

] the invention consists in thenovel construe-.-

I arrangementlof parts, j a I a M N M lti's'tratedandclaimed. ln' th a' onipa 'irig drawings, diagrammatic plan View of.

(1 portion ofia motor telncle. illus lion conibination Figure 1 "heiit' t" mating t lie applied i'e ation of the starting mechanism thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the starter.

Fig. 3 is a. vertical cross section through the same, taken adjacent to the gears on the starting shaft and the countershaft on the line 33 of Fig. 1. j Fig. 4: is a fragmentary vertical transverse section illustrating the operation of thepawl on the line H of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the engine shaft of an internal combustion engine as employed in motor vehicle prac- 40 'tice. I

In carrying out the present invention, I

place a ratchet wheel 2 on the shaft 1 and kev or otherwise'secure the same thereto so that said ratchetwheel rotates with the shaft 1 while the engine is in operation.

3 designates therstarting shaft, which is arranged in front of the engine shaft and 1n longitudinal alinement therewith. Fast on the rear end of the shaft 3 is a gear 4' which meshes with another gear 5 on a countershaft 6 journaled in bearings 7. projecting from the frame plate or base 8 of thestarter. The shaft 6 has incorporated therein one'or) more tumbling joints 9 and the rear section 5.5, of said. shaft extends rearwardly through the dash 10 of the vehicle, in rear of which it is impart l rotary, motion to" th e shaft-f 3.},for a 'pqseaw i h il appe An,e nergy storing springf1'2 encircles the shaft 3 and has its inner en'dfastened to said shaftl3, whileits outer eitr'emity isfsecured to a fixed. studi1;3 [having a, fixed relation to the base or frame plate The spring1'2 is arranged jnstin front iofithe gear 4. Connected to and carried by the gear 7 is ,a pawl or jdog.l l..wh cli isadapted,tolhgage the ratchet wheel 2... 15g designates thepperatmg crank for primarily wind ng the spring. ,At a sultab le point on the base or frame ha=s. a- -.prpjecting shoulder or: stop 1? which sadapted .to. rest; aga nst the stop; l6 and free end of the has started and the "starting niechanism hasf been operated to.

{perform its ction jfInwiinding the energy; storing spriiighy' means of the shaft 6, the pawl ll clicks over the teeth of the ratchet wheel but engages said wheel as the spring unwinds so that when the spring 12 is released, the pawl engages theteeth of the ratchet wheel 2 thus causing the energy of the spring to be transmitted to said ratchet wheel and consequently'to the engine shaft,

the same resulting in turning over the engine shaft several times or until the engine takes oi'er its own operation of cycle.

The shaft 6 is slidably mounted in its bearings so that when the operator is desirous to use the starter he pulls rearwardly on the shaft 6 sliding the gear 5 out of engagement with the gear l and thereby'releasing the gear 4 and enabling the energy ofthe spring to be imparted to the ratchet wheel 2 and the engine shaft. In order; to rewind the energy storing spring the operator slides the gear 5 again into mesh with the gear 4 and completes the winding of the spring by proper manipulation of the crank 11.

It will, of course, be understood that the energy storing spring may he made of any desired size and power, the same vary ng n accordance with the power of the engine in connectionwith which the starter is used.

It will also be understood, ofcouise, that in some cases a plurality of energy storing springs'may be employed where amonsider- 1e ratchet,

1 energy storing spring is wound and is thereafter held under tension until the pawl 14 is released from the stop 16. The said release r of the pawl 14 is accomplished by slightly revolvingihe shaft 3 by means of the shaft 6 and cran 11, and the pawl then moves into engagement with the ratchet wheel 2 with the result that the energy-storing spring is utilizedtoturn the Shaft I and start the engine The spring 12 is primarily wound means of the crank 15; To start the engine the shaft 6 is partly rotated-by the crank 11 until the pawl ll engages the ratchet wheel 2. The gear 5 is then slid out of mesh wit-h the gear 4: by moving the shaft 6 endwise, which frees the gear l causing the pawl 14 to rotate the wheel 2 and turn the engine shaft. The spring is rewound by turning the crankll after sliding the gear 5 into mesh with the gear 4.

I claim 1. The combination with an engine shaft, of a ratchet wheel fast thereon, a starting shaft located in longitudinal alinement with said engine shaft, an energy storing spring having one end secured to a fixed point and "the other extremity secured to said starting shaft, a gear on said starting shaft, a pawl carried by said gear and shiftable into and out'of engagement with said ratchet wheel, a colmtershaft substantially parallel to the engine shaft and slidable longitudinally, a gear fast on said countershaft and adapted to mesh with the gear on the starting shaft. said gear on the countershaft being slidable therewith into and out of mesh with the gear on the starting shaft, and means for detachably holding said pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel to prevent the spring from unwinding, the pawl being re leased from said means by movement of the gear by which the pawl is carried.

2. The-combination with an'engine shaft, of a ratchet wheel fast thereon, a starting shaft located in longitudinal alinement with said engine shaft, an energy storing spring having one end secured to "a fixed point and the other extremity secured to said starting shaft, a gear on said starting shaft, a pawl carried by said gear and shiftable into and out of engagement with said ratchet wheel, a countershaft substantially, parallel to tlb: engine shaft and slidable longitudinally, a gear fast on said countershaft and adapted to mesh with the gear on the starting shaft, said gear on the countershaft being slidable therewith into and out of meshwith the gear on the starting shaft, a stop shoulder on said pawl, and afixed stop shoulder'with which the first named stop shoulder is adapted to engage for holding the pawl out of engage ment with the ratchet wheel and preventing saidspring from unwindin In testimony whereof I alhx my signature. HARRY M. TOWNSEND. 

